This is my wonderful son and his beautiful bride. They have been married for almost a week.
Yes, this post is probably more suited to Facebook or Instagram, but here’s the thing, they have just entered the biggest negotiation of their lives!
They are entering the negotiation having spent a year planning for it. They have dressed up for the kick-off meeting (a.k.a. the wedding day), and they have made concessions on menus, guest lists and the gift registry.
Hopefully it’s a long and fruitful negotiation but it’s not guaranteed to always be easy.
It’s an expensive negotiation too and they are both very invested in the outcome. There are external stakeholders to satisfy as well – the sponsors of the kick-off meeting (like me), for instance!
Many of us have already entered into negotiations such as this one. Some have progressed extremely well, and others have ended badly.
For those wanting to be in the former category, I’d suggest a heavy reliance on an accommodating style, a focus on building trust and investment in communication skills.